Hiking - 2020 08 - Stinson Crash (O'Reilly's to Christmas Creek)

The morning started with a few long drives. First to get a car to the end of the walk, the furthermost point of Christmas Creek Road, Lamington. Second to drive my hiking buddy and I all the way around the mountain and up to the Green Mountain section of Lamington NP. Better known as 'O'Reilly's'.  

We left just after 7am and were up the top at just before 12. We had lunch at the cafe there, options were a bit limited... should have just got a pie... Ham and Cheese Croissant plus a shared bowl of wedges was pretty filling though.  

About 1245 we finally set off on the walk! The first 9 ish km are on a pretty well maintained section of trails. Very well maintained Border Track for 5km then another 4 on the Albert River circuit getting us to Echo Point and a great view of Mt Warning. Really clear day today with views extending past Mt Warning and over the ocean   

After Echo Point it does go onto more remote trails. Fairly well used though so well worn and easy to follow. When I expressed that thought I got an "Uggh, really?" So maybe my expectations for trails is a little too forgiving...  

It was very well marked as well, you couldn't go 5m without seeing another piece of flagging tape. Quite a few pieces fell on the ground, I only grabbed a few. It was also funny to see the ones with 4 different types of flagging, on the same little tree. As if the fluro orange already on the tree needed the help of yellow and pink too...  

Just after 4pm we came across the sign for Rat-a-Tat, a welcome sign as the woods start getting dark around 5... We took the turn off and went the 50m down hill to a nice, big (ish), flat site for camp. A nice flowing stream only meters away made water collection easy as well.  

Setup with more than enough light but then had to bring out the head lamps for dinner. Sadly one was dead on arrival with no spare batteries. Made do with just mine and phone lights as required. Without torch light we could look up through the small gaps in the canopy and see that there was an amazing clear night sky. After dinner, and a few sneaky MnM's for dessert, we brushed our teeth and turned in for the night.

It was a very relaxing morning pack.So much so that when we were still nice and warm in our bags, just past 7am, we heard a group of eager hikers (I had learned were doing the same trail as a 1 day adventure) hike past the Rat-a-tat turn off. After a little more snooze time and a leisurely breakfast we finally broke camp around 915am. Straight into an uphill stretch. The track was still well/not-well defined (depending on your view point) but then amount of flagging has certainly dropped off. 

I started picking up all the old flagging tape that had fallen to the ground. Feels like there's more flag waving here than at a parade... 

Despite the easy to follow trail it was a little over grown for some of it. Quite a bit of Wait-a-while vine to cause snags as we brushed by. The steep uphill slowed our pace, almost as much as the steep down sections did. Uphill sections thick with wait-a-while certainly hindered progress too.  

We stopped off for lunch at Kalinya Lookout, shortly after Mt Thorakban. A really nice little lookout in the sun. The westerly winds have blown up bringing with them dust and hazy views. Still able to make out Mt Warning through it. Most of the walk has been sheltered but the cool breeze was still reaching us at the forest floor making for a mostly chilly day.

Next it was up to Point Lookout for another short break before doing the final 800 ish meters into Stinson remote camp. Not the best sites to select from but we made do and found a flat spot. I set off for water down (then back up!) a pretty steep trail. Beautiful creek though, and good way to warm up.  

Just after 5 we heard a few voices and a pair that had come up from Christmas Ck strolled into camp. Conversation was basically; 

Them: Did you know you have to book here? 

Me: Ahh, yeah.

Them: Oh, we saw that there was only one spot and it was booked out. 

Me: Yep, would have been us...  

Them: Oh... Do you know where the wreck is?  

Showed them the path to the wreck, and the one down to water (they said they had plenty) and talked about where we came from. As I mentioned Point Lookout, not far away, they decided to push on and get the wreck on their way out tomorrow. I said they could stay, an meant it, but also glad they kept going. Hopefully they'll make it before dark. They seemed interested in the sunrise over Mt Warning after I mentioned it would be nice.

Around 6pm it was just starting to get dark so we made our dinners then retreated to the warmth of the tent and sleeping bags soon after.

The next morning saw yet another relaxed pack-up. Everything was squared away by 9am but we left our packs at camp to do the short (but steep, a precursor for the day...) side trail down to the Stinson crash site. A big tree had fallen in the last year and efforts were made to uncover the area. I honestly can't remember there being too much wreckage left when I first did it (20 years ago) though.  

We then started the steep uphill to get back to camp and crossed paths again with the guys from yesterday. They had made it to camp with light but it was dark by the time they finished setting up. The wind, which we felt but barely, was apparently quite strong up there. Only one braved the cold winds for sunrise.

After retrieving our packs we started down towards Christmas Creek. Deceptive at first it seemed like a nice trail but it soon picked up grade into the near vertical grade I remembered. Hey, at least this time it was dry, not muddy.  

We took a careful and cautious approach to get down. Flagging tape had picked up in frequency again making it easy to follow but the sheer steepness made for slow going. Climbing down over roots and rocks we eventually made the scramble. Someone had left a rope for a more direct route which was handy.  

The old route was up to the right and then along a thin ledge before going up. The new (red) was obviously straight up. But not too difficult.

Onward and... downward? The trail descends 500m in under 2km, with the steepest 150m elevation drop in just ~200m horizontal distance. Makes for some pretty cool tree roots though.  

Finally reaching Christmas Ck we took a sigh of relief and were able to ditch our packs and head a little further up stream to Westray's Grave. The end to his ill-fated journey seeking help after the crash.  

From there it was back down the creek line, picking up our packs once again and finishing the final 3 ish km to our car. A few fallen trees, as well as a Strangler with the host tree completely gone, were only a mild inconvenience to the now seasoned hikers. One decent rock hop across a creek later and we were finally finished.  

The only thing left was yet another drive up to O'Reilly's to get the second car and then the long drive back down and home. Probably took a little longer than expected but with a bit of motivation could be condensed into an easy 2 day hike.  

Hiking - 2019 11 - Lamington NP (Lost World)

Another loop that had been on my radar for a while was the Lost World circuit starting from the O'Reilly's section of Lamington National park. I finally had a weekend lined up so locked it in. A few were initially keen to join me but with family commitments and rain predicted by  Friday afternoon I was heading solo.

 

Didn't rush in the morning but had a really pleasant drive to the mountain. Carpark was almost empty, guess the rain scared most people off. There were some people feeding the lorikeets though and a rather brave bush rat out in the sun too!

The trail started off really easy in a maintained path to Morans Falls. Despite the rain on the drive up and the constant drizzle I was keeping mostly dry due to the canopy. Kicking off the top layer of leaf litter exposed dry ground. The northern section of Lamington suffered some significant burns recently so they could use the rain. The rocks forming the steps were just damp enough to cause caution slowing my pace a little.  

It wasn't long before I made it to Castle Crag and was almost ready to start the 'real'section of the hike. Beautiful views up the valley to Lost world... and some rather tall mountains for later in the day...  

Dropping off the edge of the cliff, and it certainly was cliff like, was more than I had anticipated. It was very bloody sketchy to be honest. Those who know me, and my affinity for teetering on the edges of cliffs, know that I'm not squeamish nor do I shy away from heights but there was a good few moments where even I questioned the sanity of my decision to press on.  

Even past the really steep bit the trail, if you could call it 'trail', often had you heading straight down. The 'trail' was effectively non-existent. Every now and then you would see a foot pad/goat track that would last for 5 meters, 10 if you were lucky.  There was evidence of past hikers though. Big skid marks down the hill where someone took a slide. I left a few marks myself, not just those on the trail...  

 Eventually I made it down to the upper reaches of the Albert River. I followed it down stream until the turn off back up the other side before stopping for a rest before the hill. Great spot to stop for lunch, though I had planned for smoko here. Flowing really well and a knee deep hole should you want to get wet. As it's been really dry this was also the last guarantee for water. 4lt makes for a heavy pack...

No messing about on this hike. No such thing as switch backs, just straight up the hill. Straight up on a ridge line, over 300m elevation gain is just under a km. Then turn left when you reach the top to traverse along another ridge, for a similar sort of distance and height... Definitely some cool bits though. 😀

Ridge ridge and then some more ridge before it flattened up a little bit closer to Lost World. I'm so glad I carried all that extra water up the hill to see the creek flowing free and clear. . . . At the Lost World Creek camp, good spots for 4 or so tents a little spread out and the flowing creek near by I think it's worth the climb. 

I had arrived just before 3 and thought I shouldn't be done for the day and decided to push on to the Lost World Saddle, another 4k. After a short break I pushed off once again up the hill.  

It wasn't long before the bush gave way to rain forest. Lots of vines, heaps of spikes, easier grade than the previous hills but felt even harder. At some point before the Mt Razorback Summit a vine must have grabbed my side pocket and raked my TP from me, doh!  

This was an easy bit.  

The trip down was rather difficult for navigation. I had my phone out fairly often to confirm my position was still on trail. A few times I confirmed I was a hundred or so meters from where I wanted to be. I started using the compass on my watch which made things easier. This sort of forest with dodgy maps and old school compasses would have been quite the feat! 

Eventually though another defined ridge protruded through the forest and it wasn't too much longer before I was at camp. Just on 5:20. Enough time to get everything sorted, enjoy the sunset and cook dinner in the fading light. 

Even before dinner (a continental pasta side with powdered milk to thicken it) was ready the temp had dropped to the point where I reached for my beanie. I have my warm bag with me tonight and thermals should it drop too much. Puffy jacket to for emergencies, but I don't think it would be needed. By the time I was in my tent, around 7, it was 16°c. A bit warm to be in my bag but perfect with it as a blanket.  

Surprisingly few mosquito but of course 3 made it into my tent and needed to be dispatched before I could have a good sleep. Not much room for them to hide in a small tent.

Nature called in the morning, not a call you can leave unanswered, so I tried out the old naturalist approach and grabbed some leaves. The Cordyline leaves went ok actually, but I think I'll be more vigilant with my TP through vines the future. I'm more upset about leaving rubbish behind that my choice of wipes this morning.  

After breakfast and packing camp it was straight back up a ridge again. Once more covered in thick forest and vines. Even more dense than yesterday. The first 3k to Mt Worendo took a little over 3 hours. 1.3 kph is a fair wack off my usual 4.5-5kph on maintained trails...  

A few hundred meters shy of the summit was a very faint goat track which did make it a bit easier. Smoko on top and pulled the first leach of the trip. While eating discovered another 3 that had latched on. Blood dripping down my leg onto the top of my socks... 

The O'Reilly's side of the mountain had a much better defined trail. Very easy to follow. A few people would day hike to the summit but it's also the trail for Rat-at-at and the Stinson wreck, so it makes sense it's more well used. There were a few sections near blow downs where the trail disappeared but the occasional piece of flagging tape made it easy to rediscover.  

Past the 'Rugged/Remote' sign and it was almost like a maintained trail. It wasn't long before I reached Echo Point and was back on actual maintained trails, Albert River Circuit. A couple that camped there the night were just about to head off, having enjoyed a sleep in and the view at Echo point.

They asked me how far it was to Stinson and pulled out the map below...  

.... 

I tried to manage their expectations. 

...

Luckily as I was on the return circuit I was able to offer them my actual (topographic) map and suggested they set a firm 'turn back' time. The trail back was much much faster. It's not surprising when you're not stopping every 3 meters to step over a vine or unhook from wait-a-while (Lawyer Vine) spikes.  

Back on the border track and the path was easier again. The closer I got back to O'Reilly's the busier it got and when I saw people in thongs I knew I was close. Got back just before 1230.  Enjoyed a drink and a hot pie at the cafe before starting the drive home. 

Gear is a bit of a mess, certainly dirtier than most of my hikes time for a hot shower and probably take the pack in there with me. Hope you enjoyed the hike, see you on the mountains!